Brexit: Irish PM Micheál Martin to hold NI Protocol talks in Belfast

The taoiseach (Irish prime minister) is to meet Stormont's main parties to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol and the current assembly crisis.

Micheál Martin will hold talks in Belfast later, focusing on what can be done to restore the assembly.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is refusing to return to power-sharing unless protocol problems are resolved.

It comes as US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the UK must not discard the protocol.

Mrs Pelosi said the UK government's suggestion it could act unilaterally to change the post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland was deeply concerning.

Ahead of his meeting with the taoiseach, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said "the unionist viewpoint can no longer be ignored".

In a statement, Sir Jeffrey added that power-sharing "only works with the consent of unionists and nationalists" and while he wanted to see Stormont's political institutions working fully, that could only happen by "building consensus".

Without the election of a new Speaker, assembly members (MLAs) cannot take their seats at Stormont.

This also means a new executive cannot be formed, with ministers from the previous executive which collapsed in February remaining in their posts in caretaker roles.

While the DUP will tell the taoiseach that its concerns over the Northern Ireland Protocol must be dealt with before the executive can be reinstated, the other parties are likely to tell him that the political blockage at Stormont is being caused by Sir Jeffrey's party.

It is the first time the DUP leader, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Doug Beattie and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Colum Eastwood, will meet the taoiseach in person since the assembly election on 5 May.

Sir Jeffrey said his party was "happy to engage with the taoiseach regarding the protocol and how our two countries operate on matters of mutual concern".

"The functioning of the Northern Ireland Assembly and executive, however, are entirely matters for the Northern Ireland parties and the UK government."

He added that the "current protocol is incompatible with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement".

"The Irish government can't have both."

As well as talking to politicians, Mr Martin will meet business leaders.

In a tweet on Thursday evening, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said all eyes were on the Irish government ahead of the meetings.

"As co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, Dublin must bring momentum and plans to address DUP and British obstruction of the executive," she said.

"No more drift. The people have spoken. Politics must get back to work."

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said it was "deeply concerning that the United Kingdom now seeks to unilaterally discard the Northern Ireland Protocol".

"The Good Friday Accords are the bedrock of peace in Northern Ireland and a beacon of hope for the world," she added, in a statement.

"Ensuring there remains no physical border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland is absolutely necessary for upholding this landmark agreement, which has transformed Northern Ireland."

"Respectful of the will of the British people and of Brexit, I urge constructive, collaborative and good-faith negotiations to implement an agreement that upholds peace."

On Thursday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she had a "good conversation" with Mr Martin.

She said the EU and Ireland were on "the same page" when it came to the protocol and they agreed "international agreements cannot be disapplied unilaterally".

Mr Martin also held an hour-long video call with Alliance Party leader Naomi Long on Thursday.